This invention relates to a method of producing a decorative foil transfer design that can be applied to any surface, and more particularly to a method and apparatus of producing a foil transfer design which does not require heat or pressure for application.
Presently, foil type designs are transferred onto the surface of items such as leather goods, glasses, decorative plates and other materials to be decorated by expensive machinery which require dies, heated platen presses and other large and bulky machinery, inasmuch as the foil design must be applied using heat and pressure. In a typical hot stamp foil application process, the foil is placed over a surface to which it is to be applied, a heated platen with a die or type element consisting of the design to be applied is pressed onto the foil, and the impact of the die or type element transfers the foil to the surface. The remainder of the foil outside the die is not applied on the surface, and is subsequently removed, leaving the foil design on the surface. An adhesive material is normally applied between the foil and the surface. The heat and the pressure applied through the above described machinery activates the adhesive to adhere the foil design to the surface.
It is apparent that presently available processes for the application of a foil design to a surface require expensive and bulky machinery which must be connected to sources of heat and pressure, such as a hot water system, electricity, and a pneumatic pump, for example. The use of such machinery requires large amounts of manufacturing space and a substantial amount of labor, thereby increasing the cost of applying foil designs to decorate an object.